1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to patterned-media magnetic recording disks, wherein each data bit is stored in a magnetically isolated data island on the disk, and more particularly to patterned-media disks with scrambled patterns for preventing replication of the disk master used to make the disks.
2. Description of the Related Art
Magnetic recording hard disk drives with patterned magnetic recording media have been proposed to increase data density. In patterned media, the magnetic recording layer on the disk is patterned into small isolated data islands arranged in concentric data tracks. To produce the required magnetic isolation of the patterned data islands, the magnetic moment of spaces between the islands must be destroyed or substantially reduced to render these spaces essentially nonmagnetic. In one type of patterned media, the data islands are elevated regions or pillars that extend above “trenches” and magnetic material covers both the pillars and the trenches, with the magnetic material in the trenches being rendered nonmagnetic, typically by “poisoning” with a material like silicon (Si). Patterned-media disks may be longitudinal magnetic recording disks, wherein the magnetization directions are parallel to or in the plane of the recording layer, or perpendicular magnetic recording disks, wherein the magnetization directions are perpendicular to or out-of-the-plane of the recording layer.
One proposed method for fabricating patterned-media disks is by nanoimprinting with a template or mold, sometimes also called a “stamper”, that has a topographic surface pattern. In this method the magnetic recording disk substrate with a polymer film on its surface is pressed against the mold. The polymer film receives the reverse image of the mold pattern and then becomes a mask for subsequent etching of the disk substrate to form the pillars on the disk. The magnetic layer and other layers needed for the magnetic recording disk are then deposited onto the etched disk substrate and the tops of the pillars to form the patterned-media disk. The mold may be a master mold for directly imprinting the disks. However, the more likely approach is to fabricate a master mold with a pattern of pillars corresponding to the pattern of pillars desired for the disks and to use this master mold to fabricate replica molds. The replica molds will thus have a pattern of holes corresponding to the pattern of pillars on the master mold. The replica molds are then used to directly imprint the disks. Nanoimprinting of patterned media is described by Bandic et al., “Patterned magnetic media: impact of nanoscale patterning on hard disk drives”, Solid State Technology S7+ Suppl. S, SEP 2006; and by Terris et al., “TOPICAL REVIEW: Nanofabricated and self-assembled magnetic structures as data storage media”, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 38 (2005) R199-R222.
The master template or mold requires extensive time and effort to design. Additionally, it is fabricated by an expensive and time-consuming process using expensive equipment, for example by electron beam (e-beam) lithography. The master template (or replica molds made from the master template) is used for making millions of disks, each of which is an exact replica of the expensive master. It is possible that the master template or replica molds may be stolen, which would enable a potential competitor or media maker to create a new master with little investment in time or cost. Also, the master template or replica molds may be copied from a disk.
What is needed are patterned-media disks that if copied would not be operable in a disk drive.